Lazarus Vaalepu has joined Leigh Leopards from Melbourne Storm in an immediate transfer that runs for the remainder of the 2026 season. Leigh Leopards said he will link up with the club after visa requirements and relocation arrangements are completed.
Andrew Henderson on Vaalepu
Andrew Henderson said: "We’re really excited to bring Lazarus to Leigh. He’s a player with genuine presence, power, and punch, giving us a real point of difference within our middle unit." Henderson added: "He’s humble, driven to succeed, and genuinely believes he can grow his game under Adrian Lam in Super League. We’re looking forward to helping him take the next step in his career."
Henderson also said: "He’s of good character and has been developed through a strong Melbourne system for a number of years, which will be a real benefit to us." He added: "I believe he’ll thrive in our environment and become a player our supporters really connect with. He wants to be part of something ambitious - and that’s exactly what we’re creating here at Leigh."
Melbourne Storm to Leigh Leopards
Vaalepu made his NRL debut in 2024 from the interchange bench against Sydney Roosters and has made 12 first-grade appearances for Melbourne Storm. He became the least experienced player since 1994 to feature in an NRL Grand Final when he was named on the interchange bench for the 2024 decider against Penrith Panthers, and he also has two international caps for Samoa after featuring during Samoa's 2024 tour of England.
For Leigh Leopards, the move adds a prop who has already been used in high-pressure squad roles, but it also lands against an existing reshuffle in the forward pack. Leigh Leopards are set to lose Robbie Mulhern and Owen Trout at the end of the 2026 Super League season, with Robbie Mulhern expected to link up with Castleford Tigers under Ryan Carr and Owen Trout having agreed a deal with Cronulla Sharks.
Leigh Leopards forward pack
That makes the timing practical as well as immediate: Leigh Leopards gain a player they can integrate once the visa and relocation work is done, while Melbourne Storm lose one of their emerging forwards now rather than later. Vaalepu arrives with the kind of limited senior sample that still matters in roster planning — 12 first-grade appearances, two Samoa caps and a recent NRL Grand Final bench role — and Leigh Leopards have chosen to use that profile before their own departures land at season's end.
